Preface

This is a golden age for conducting our family history investigations. It is important that genealogical exploration include both traditional and electronic research. We still need to visit or work with physical facilities such as libraries, archives, courthouses, and other locations because only a small percentage of documents are on the Internet. However, the technology to assist genealogists is growing faster than ever. Information, in the form of indexes and original documents digitized by the tens of millions, is being added to the Internet each month. Newspapers and city directories that were printed on fragile, non-archival paper stock are being scanned and electronically indexed at an astonishing rate. Billions of photographs, including vintage pictures from personal family collections, are also being digitized, labeled, and placed online at a variety of websites. Cemeteries are being canvassed and photographed by volunteers around the world and are being placed online.

I wrote the first edition of this book because I felt that no other introductory book about genealogy went into enough detail about getting started with your family history research and then progressed beyond the basics. Over the last decade, no other how-to genealogy book has been published with as much information and as many illustrative graphics as this book, and this fourth edition is no exception.

I always wanted a genealogy how-to book that addresses records in the United States, Canada, England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and Australia. This book provides that. Research in the primary English-speaking countries is essential, especially if you are trying to research backward and “cross the pond.” Understanding one type of record in one location can help you draw analogies in another location, therefore more quickly grasping the importance of the content and the contextual implications of a new record.

What This Book Covers

This new, fourth edition of the book continues the premise of providing a solid foundation for genealogical research. It also includes discussions of many different record types of genealogical importance created and available in English-speaking countries, the physical repositories and/or online resource facilities where they may be found and accessed, and a wealth of logical research methodologies. The figures and tables throughout complement the text, providing samples and details for your future reference.

Genetic genealogy research has rapidly evolved since the third edition, and this book reflects the most recent testing that is available, and discusses tools and references for getting the most of your genetic genealogical results. It also includes up-to-date information about social media, which has become an important part of the collaboration between genealogists.

New to this edition is an up-to-the-minute discussion of a number of mobile genealogy apps for the iPhone and Android operating systems. These are in addition to the mobile apps available for many of the genealogical database software programs that run on desktop, laptop, and tablet computers.

Regardless of your experience and expertise, I know that you will find something helpful at the turn of every page in the book. Don’t discount a particular concept or description presented. Instead, use the contents of the book as a structured review. You’ll learn or relearn the basic rules of genealogical evidence and how to use your “critical thinking skills” to evaluate the source materials that you find. You will learn to look more deeply into basic record types, such as vital or civil records and censuses, and you will discover and understand other, more advanced record types that perhaps you have never used. You will undoubtedly encounter “brick walls” that may stymie your research. Yes, they can be frustrating, but they don’t have to bring your research to a standstill. When you reach an impasse, return to the chapter(s) that includes information about records that are likely to provide you with answers. Alternate record types are nearly always available to provide another source of information. You may also find help to circumnavigate your brick walls in the book, Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques (McGraw-Hill, 2013), which I wrote with my partner Drew Smith. In it we explore many ways of approaching daunting research problems.

You are embarking on a fascinating genealogical research odyssey that may last the rest of your life. Along the way you will meet many wonderful people and visit some fascinating places. You also will come to know your ancestors and their families as real people—and as close personal friends. It is my fervent hope that your research will be successful and that your family tree will prove to be a fruitful source of information to help you better understand your family origins. I also hope that you will share the stories with your family, friends, and other genealogists. I know from more than 50 years of personal experience that you’ll have an exciting and gratifying journey. I continue to learn something new each and every day, and I know that you will too.

Happy hunting!

George G. Morgan